PUBLIC ENEMY – SEPTEMBER 2ND – SOUND ACADEMY

Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late ’80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time. Building from Run-D.M.C.’s street-oriented beats and Boogie Down Productions’ proto-gangsta rhyming, Public Enemy pioneered a variation of hardcore rap that was musically and politically revolutionary. With his powerful, authoritative baritone, lead rapper Chuck D rhymed about all kinds of social problems, particularly those plaguing the black community, often condoning revolutionary tactics and social activism. In the process, he directed hip-hop toward an explicitly self-aware, pro-black consciousness that became the culture’s signature throughout the next decade.

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, The group’s second studio album, has since been regarded by music writers and publications as one of the greatest and most influential albums of all-time. It has been hailed for its production techniques and the socially and politically charged lyricism of lead MC Chuck D. In 2003, the album was ranked number 48 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, the highest ranking of all the hip hop al-bums on the list.

Don’t miss your chance to relive one of Hip Hop’s most renowned albums Live, September 2 at the Sound Academy.